Programs

Arabic

Arabic Studies at Wheaton College offers a robust program of courses in the Arabic language. The department offers three levels of Arabic designed for students with no previous study of Arabic. Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in the world — spoken mainly through the Middle East and most of North Africa. Since the Middle Ages, Arabic has left a lasting mark on numerous other languages, including English.

Though Arabic can be a challenging and uncommon language to learn, the cultural and professional benefits it offers are many. Arabic speakers are in great demand among international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank, international companies, foreign aid agencies, intelligence agencies, and many other sectors.

Our goal here at Wheaton is to provide an introduction to modern standard Arabic within the cultural context of the Arab world. Studying Arabic allows students to gain greater cultural and international understanding through the lens of language. By studying Arabic and learning about the language, students will begin to gain a deeper and more nuanced perspective of the Arabic-speaking world than the typical themes found in U.S. mass media.

This program and its courses are also associated and often conjoined with the Stonehill College Arabic program.

This course provides the first-time learner with basic knowledge and skills in Arabic. This is a yearlong beginning course designed for students with no previous study of Arabic. Its goal is to provide an introduction to modern standard Arabic within the cultural context of the Arab world. The course develops the fundamental skills: understanding, speaking, reading, writing and cultural awareness. Four class meetings per week, plus work in the language laboratory and media center.

From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Refer to the course schedule for current listings.

During this course,students will review chapters 1-10 that are in Book I . Get tested on it before going to Book II, Al-Kitaab. Emphasis will be on learning new vocabulary, writing, reading and speaking will be applied in every class. Instructor will teach materials from the textbooks, CDs, DVDs, cultural events and articles, movies and the instructor personal experience as a native speaker. Speaking Arabic will be encouraged at each class.

From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Refer to the course schedule for current listings.

Students at this level have a broader range of vocabulary, more fluency in speaking, and more advanced skills in Arabic than students at the regular Intermediate Arabic level. The main objective of this course is to move students in a short period of time across the threshold of the high intermediate level of proficiency and provide opportunities and learning strategies towards the advanced level of proficiency. This level is characterized by extensive readings and discussions on a multitude of political, social, cultural, and literary topics. Listening activities focus on authentic materials of considerable length and content. At this level, students learn colloquial dialects mostly Levantine. The objective is to equip students with the necessary conversational skills that would enable them to engage in meaningful discourse with educated Arabs in a medium that is not considered artificial or unfamiliar in the Arab World.

Students at this level have a broader range of vocabulary, more fluency in speaking, and more advanced skills in Arabic than students at the regular Intermediate Arabic level. The main objective of this course is to move students in a short period of time across the threshold of the high intermediate level of proficiency and provide opportunities and learning strategies towards the advanced level of proficiency. This level is characterized by extensive readings and discussions on a multitude of political, social, cultural, and literary topics. Listening activities focus on authentic materials of considerable length and content. At this level, students learn colloquial dialects mostly Levantine. The objective is to equip students with the necessary conversational skills that would enable them to engage in meaningful discourse with educated Arabs in a medium that is not considered artificial or unfamiliar in the Arab World.

From time to time, departments design a new course to be offered either on a one-time basis or an experimental basis before deciding whether to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Refer to the course schedule for current listings.